Mysterious Skin (2004)
I had this on my watchlist and don’t remember why. Maybe because there was something about UFOs? And I did get an UFO as it starts off as something a bit like X-Files, but then a few minutes in it becomes something different. Very very different.
It is a story about sexual abuse of young boys and that is usually a topic that gets extremely bleak, dark and depressing when a film depicts that. Araki uses a very unique approach by showing things from the children’s perspective without any sort of filters, and shown in a rather neutral almost sentimental manner using bright colors. The whole experience was a mix of both deeply unsettling and strangely uplifting, because the characters show so much care and compassion for each other. I don’t think I have seen any movie depicting two young men comforting each other in such a tender manner, where it still felt so authentic. The film takes its subject matter and trauma seriously, but it doesn’t succumb to the usual bleakness and despair.
Rating: 4.5